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The clamor had grown stupendous； destroyinglike armored Gods roaring at sword play in a hundred Valhallas； like the war drums of battling universe； like the smitings of warring suns。
And all the City was throbbing； beating with a gigantic pulse of lifewas fed and drunken with life。 I felt that pulsing become my own； I echoed to it； throbbed in unison。 I saw Drake outlined in flame； that around me a radiant nimbus was growing。
I thought I saw Norhala floating； clothed in shouting； flailing fires。 I strove to call out to her。 By me slipped the body of Drake； lay flaming at my feet upon the narrow ledge。
There was a roaring within my headlouder； far louder； than that which beat against my ears。 Something was drawing me forth； drawing me out of my body into unimaginable depths of blackness。 Something was hurling me out into those cold depths of space that alone could darken the fires that encircled methe fires of which I was becoming a part。
I felt myself leap outwardoutward and outward intooblivion。
CHAPTER XXI
PHANTASMAGORIA METALLIOUE。
Wearily I opened my eyes。 Stiffly； painfully； I stirred。 High above me was the tremendous circle of sky； ringed with the hosts of feeding shields。 But the shields were now wanly gleaming and the sky was the sky of night。
Night？ How long had I lain here？ And where was Drake？ I struggled to rise。
〃Steady； old man；〃 his voice came from beside me。 〃Steadyand quiet。 How are you feeling？〃
〃Badly battered；〃 I groaned。 〃What happened？〃
〃We weren't used to the show；〃 he said。 〃We got all fed up at the orgy。 Too much magnetismwe had a sudden and violent attack of electrical indigestion。 Sh…hlook ahead of you。〃
Gingerly I turned。 I had been lying； I now saw； head toward and prone at the base of one of the crater's walls。 As my gaze swept away I noted with a curious relief that the tiny eye…points were no longer sparkling with their enigmatic life； that they were dulled and dim once more。
Before me； glimmering pallidly； bristled the mount of the Cones。 Around its crystal base glittered immense egg…shaped diamond incandescences。 They were both rayless and strangelylightless； they threw no shadows nor did their lambency lessen the dimness。 Beside each of these curious luminosities stood one of the sullen…fired； cruciform shapesthe Things that now I knew for the opened cubes。
They were smaller than the Keeper； indeed less than half his height。 They were ranged in an almost unbroken crescent around the visible arc of the immense pedestaland now I saw that the lights were a few feet closer to that pedestal than they。 Egg…shaped as I have said； the wider end was undermost； resting in a broad cup upheld by a slender pedicle silvery…gray and metallic。
〃They're building out the base；〃 whispered Drake。 〃The Cones got so big they have to give them more room。〃
〃Magnetism；〃 I whispered in return。 〃Electricitythey drew down from the sun spot。 And it was more than that I saw the Cones grow under it。 It fed them as it fed the Hordesbut the Cones grew。 It was as though the shields and the Cones turned pure energy into substance。〃
〃And if we hadn't been pretty thoroughly magnetized to start with it would have done for us；〃 he said。
We watched the operation going on in front of us。 The cross shapes had bent； hinging above the transverse arms。 They bowed in absolute unison as at some signal。 Down from the horizontal plane of each whipped the long and writhing tentacles。
At the foot of every one I could now perceive a heap of some faintly glistening material。 The tendrils coiled among this； then drew up something that looked like a thick rod of crystal。 The bent planes straightened； simultaneously they thrust the crystalline bars toward the incandescences。
There came a curious； brittle hissing。 The ends of the rods began to dissolve into dazzling； diamond rain； atomically minute； that passing through the egg…shaped lights poured upon the periphery of the pedestal。 Rapidly the bars melted。 Heat there must be in these lights； terrific heatyet the Keeper's workers seemed impervious to it。
As the ends of the bars radiated into the annealing mist I saw the tentacles creep closer and ever closer to the rayless flame through which the mist flew。 And at the last； as the ultimate atoms drove through； the holding tendrils were thrust almost within it； touched it； certainly。
A score of times they repeated this process while we watched。 Unaware of us they seemed； orif aware； then indifferent。 More rapid became their movements； the glassy ingots streaming through the floating braziers with hardly a pause in their passing。 Abruptly； as though switched； the incandescences lessened into candle…points； instantly； as at a signal； the crescent of crosses closed into a crescent of cubes。
Motionless they stood； huge blocks blackened against the dim glowing of the conessentient monoliths； a Druid curve； an arc of a metal Stonehenge。 And as at dusk and dawn the great menhirs of Stonehenge fill with a mysterious； granitic life； seem to be praying priests of stone； so about these gathered hierophantic illusion。
They quivered； the slender pedicles cupping； the waned lights swayed； the lights lifted and soared； upright； to their backs。
Two by two with measured pace； solemnly the cubes glided off into the encircling darkness。 As they swept away there streamed behind them other scores not until then visible to us； joining pair by pair from hidden arcs。
Into the secret shadows they flowed； two by two； each bearing over it the slim shaft holding the serene flame。
Grotesquely were they like a column of monks marching with dimmed flambeau of their worship。 Angled metal monks of some god of metal； carrying tapers of electric fire； withdrawing slowly from a Holy of Holies whose metallically divine Occupant knew nothing of man nor cared to know。
Grotesqueyes。 But would that I had the power to crystallize in words the underlying； alien terror every movement of the Metal Monster when disintegrate； its every manifestation when combined； evoked； the incredulous； amazed lurking always close behind the threshold of the mind； the never lifting； thin…shuddering shadow。
Smaller； dimmer waned the lightsthey were gone。
We crouched； motionless。 Nothing stirred； there was no sound。 Without speaking we arose； crept together over the smooth floor toward the cones。
As we crossed I saw that the pave； like the walls； was built of the bodies of the Metal People； and； like the walls； they were dormant； filmed eyes oblivious to our passing。 Closer we creptwere only a scant score of rods from that colossal mechanism。 I noted that the crystal foundation was set low； was not more than four feet above the floor。 The sturdy； dwarfed pilasters supporting it thrust up in crowded copses； merging through distance into apparent solidity。
Now； too； I realized； as I had not when looking down from above； how stupendous the structure rising from the crystal foundation was。
I began to wonder how so thin a support could bear the mount bristling above itthen remembered what it was that at first had flown from them； shrinking them； and at last had fed and swelled them。
Light！ Weightless magnetic ions； swarms of electric ions； the misty breath of the infinite energy breathing upon； condensing upon； them。 Could it be that the Cones for all their apparent mass had little； if any； weight？ Like ringed Saturn； thousands of times Earth's bulk； flaunting itself in the Heavensyet if transported to our world so light that rings and all it would float like a bubble upon our oceans。 The Cones towered above meclose； so close。
The Cones were weightless。 How I knew I cannot say but now； almost touching them； I did know。 Nebulous； yet solid； were they； compact； yet tenuous； dense and unsubstantial。
Again the thought came to methey were force made visible； energy made concentrate into matter。
We skirted； seeking for the tablet over which the Keeper had hovered； the mechanism which； under his tentacles； had shifted the circling shields； thrust the spear of green fire into the side of the wounded sun。 Hesitantly I touched the crystal base； the edge was warm； but whether this warmth came from the dazzling rain which we had just watched build it outward or whether it was a property inherent with the substance itself I do not know。
Certainly there was no mark upon it to show where the molten mists had fallen。 It was diamond hard and smooth。 The nearest cones were but a scant nine feet from its rim。
Suddenly we saw the tablet； stood beside it。 The shape of a great T； glimmering with a faint and limpid violet phosphorescence； it might have been； in shape and size； the palely shining shadow of the Keeper。 It was a foot above the floor； and had apparently no connection with the cones。
It was made of thousands of close…packed tiny octagonal rods the tops of some of which were cupped； of others pointed； none was more than half an inch in width。 There was about it a suggestion of wedded crystal and metalas about its burden was the suggestion of mated energy and matter。
The rods were movable； they formed a keyboard unimaginably complex； a keyboard whose infinite combinations were like a Fourth Dimensional chess